A LUXURY car in a showroom was badly damaged after an electrical fault in the engine caused a fire on Saturday afternoon.

It took two pumps to control the blaze in the £43,000 Mercedes 240 CLK Coupe Elegance, at Mercedes Benz, Whitebirk Drive, Blackburn.

The rest of the showroom was smoke damaged as the fire was contained to the vehicle's engine.

Leading firefighter Steve Boyne said: "The fire could have been much worse if it had occurred in the middle of the night when showroom staff are not on the premises.

"The staff at the premises had evacuated the building completely and were outside awaiting the arrival of the Fire Service.

"The manager at the showroom said that the vehicle was brand new and its value estimated around £43,000."

Mercedes Benz engineers are investigating to confirm an electrical fault as the cause.